Estate of the Counts of Platers

The Bebrene Estate features an ensemble of Baroque buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century. The dominant building is the mansion of Count Plater-Sieberg, which was built in 1896 after a design by the architect L. J. L. Marconi. It is home to the Bebrene High School today. Surviving to the present day are the ornate gate and the unusual stone fence of the estate. The regular-design park which surrounds the mansion features a wealth of foreign trees.

Construction of the manor was started at the end of the 19th century by a count Stanislav Kostka Plater-Sieberg, an owner of Bebrene manor. The main building of the manor was built according to designs of French Renaissance (Polish architect L. J. L. Marconi, 1834-1919).

The building we see today has been slightly changed: in 1960, the third floor was arranged on the garret floor. The first floor of the manor building housed representation rooms, while the second floor – living rooms. From refreshment room to the cellar, and further along underground passage to the distant kitchen. One part of the underground passage has been preserved and is open to visitors. Rumour has it that the underground passage had also connected the manor building with the church, chapel, however, this has not been proved.

The area of the manor owned by the count Plater-Sieberg is enclosed by the park and can be reached through a magnificent gate (19th century). The entire area of the manor is enclosed by a red brick fence which changes to the fence of little posts built in stone with wood partitions. Such fences were very common from the 17th to 19th century both in country manors and towns. Today such fences have been preserved mere partially in only some places in Latvia. In Bebrene this fence construction has been preserved surrounding large part of the area.

Today visitors of Bebrene manor can visit a kitchen building, a steward’s house, a little house above ice cellar, a gardener’s house with fruit cellars, servants’ house, manor stables, mill and a miller’s house. Construction of the mill was started in 183, and a steam engine was used to operate the mill. Different work equipment, including a cogwheel made of maple wood, can still be seen in the mill. A miller’s house is an excellent example of the old wooden architecture in Bebrene.

Visitors are welcome to visit not only the manor, its buildings and park, but also a Roman Catholic Church in Bebrene. Special surprises are waiting to be discovered in the manor’s cellars! Visitors can ask a coachman of the manor for a ride in a cart or a horse ride. Ride in a cart pulled by a horse can be organized in the park of Bebrene manor upon prior announcement.

Pils iela 6, Krāslava
+371 656 23586
kraslavas_muzejs@inbox.lv

information taken from www.latgale.travel